Dinah Lee Küng

GENEVA, MARCH 25, 2007
March 25, 2007

His Excellency Ambassador La Yifan
Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations
c/​o mission de la République Populaire de Chine
11 Ch de Surville CP 85
1213 Petit Lancy 2 GE

RE: MedicalCondition, Mr. He Depu, Beijing Prison No. 2

Dear Ambassador La,

It is my privilege to address your mission again on the subject of PEN International’s Honorary Prisoner, Mr. He Depu, the Beijing Spring editor, electoral candidate and subject of a recommendation by the U.N. Rapporteur on Torture, Dr. Manfred Nowack in his March, 2006 report to the U.N. Human Rights Council.

First I would like to thank your government, with special regard for any efforts by your Mission as well as by both the warden and prison doctor of Beiijing Prison No. 2 for their attention turned to Mr. He Depu’s deteriorating condition. These efforts included a partial medical exam carried out on November 22, 2006, including blood tests, chest-X-ray, ultra-sound and cardiogram.

Unfortunately, we now understand that the prison doctor conveyed to the family on March 7 that Prison No. 2 medical facilities or resources are not sophisticated enough to diagnose or resolve the partial deafness caused by the extended beatings administered by government authorities during Mr. He’s initial detention and torture.

Without in any way wishing to diminish the goodwill generated by these efforts to address Mr. He’s rapid weight loss, unusually high blood pressure, his marked change of pallor, permanent hearing loss and overall dramatic decline in condition, we urge the authorities to comply immediately with Dr. Nowack’s recommendation for Mr. He’s immediate release.

We will recall for you the words of Dr. Nowack’s report: “Since He Depu has been convicted of a political crime, possibly on the basis of information extracted by torture, the Special Rapporteur appeals to the Chinese Government that he be released.”

For the last year, PEN has strongly urged the Mission of the People’s Republic of China to demonstrate to the Council the spirit of true human rights observance. We have also requested the discontinuation of all harrassment and surveillance of Mme. He Jia Jianying, only to learn this month she was placed under house arrest for the duration of the National People’s Congress this spring, although she is innocent of any charges or crimes.

We also urge the complete restoration of their political and civil rights as guaranteed by the National Constitution of the People's Republic of China.

In this sensitive period preceeding the 2008 Olympics, it is of interest to all parties that Mr. He be released, and if— in flagrant contravention of the U.N. Rapporteur’s recommendation— Mr. He’s detention continues, that his diet be extended to include meat, his exercise allowance be increased, his wife be released from all detention and surveillance and that his medical treatment include consultations with specialists able to address his disability in the hope it is not permanent.

With thanks,


Dinah Lee Küng

GENEVA, OCT 5—Attending the United Nations Human Rights Council sessions can be an heady experience. You have to assume they wouldn't expend so much security, limousine petrol, corridor space, not to mention, translation services only to do nothing, right?
But it's hard to go home with anything but a migraine, and not only from the buzz of an earpiece hanging off your lobe for many long hours. Witness the Mission of the People's Republic in Geneva, (Mr. La Yifan, to be exact) wasting twenty-five minutes before a full assembly arguing for three more minutes' right of reply, not to mention the entire Chinese Mission doing its damnest to eliminate country-specific special procedures and muting any effort to "name and shame."

Therefore, we award an Ecrasez-l'infâme Prize (an engraved box of designer aspirin) to the Honourable Paul Meyer of the Mission of Canada in Geneva, who with notable humour gave the following comment before the assembled states to the Second Session of the Human Rights Council on October 3, 2006:
A principle goal should be to ensure the strengthening of an effective and ongoing engagement of the Special Procedures to ensure promotion and protection of human rights here on earth and not in outer space, or some other sphere where some of us seem to want to relegate them, at least those entrusted with thematic and country mandates. We don't need to be concerned with the state of freedom of expression on Pluto, but rather on our own planet.This in turn requires the cooperation of states and indeed overcoming their insecurities or shyness or whatever else prevents them from opening themselves up to such scrutiny and honest dialogue.

Congratulations to Ambassador Meyer, and we now offer the right of reply to...uh, the honourable representatives from Pluto...